Valery Meladze

Valeriy Shotayevich Meladze (Russian: Валерий Шотаевич Меладзе, Georgian: ვალერი შოთას ძე მელაძე; born 23 June 1965 in Batumi) is a Russian singer of Georgian descent. He is the brother of composer and producer Konstantin Meladze, who writes songs for him. Meritorious Artist of Russia (2006)

Early life

Valeriy Meladze was born on 23 June 1965 in Batumi in the family of Shota and Nelly Meladze, who were engineers. Valeriy has a brother, Konstantin (1963), and a sister, Liana (1968). He was an impatient and disobedient child, while his brother was very quiet. He went to music school and learned to play the piano. In school he did not study well. Since his parents, his grandmother and his grandfather were engineers, he decided to enter the Engineering Institute. Meladze entered the Nikolayev Shipbuilding Institute in Ukraine to study mechanical engineering of ship power plants. In 1985, Valeriy's brother started playing keyboard in the group "April". After some time, Valeriy started to sing in this group as a back-up vocalist, but this group broke up.

First success

When he was studying in his third year he met his future wife Irina. They married in 1989. He lived in a dormitory and he lacked scholarships to feed his wife and daughter. During this year, his homemade album "April" reached the producer of the successful Soviet Union group Dialog. The producer liked Valeriy's voice. Valeriy began singing the group as the lead singer and Konstantin started to write songs for the group. In 1991, was released "Dialog"s album - "Poseredine Mira" (Посерeдине Мира; Middle Of The World).

In 1993, the producer of the group died and the group had financial problems. Dialog lost popularity and in end of 1993 Meladze left the group. During The Moscow Tour, they met their future producer Evgeniy Friedland. Evgeniy helped to record the first of Valeriy's songs - "Ne Trevoz Mne Dushu Skripka" (Не тревожь мне душу, скрипка; Don't Disturb my soul, violin). After the success of the song, Evgeniy asked Valeriy to change his last name (surname) from "Meladze" to "Lisov" or "Lisovskiy", because the translation of "mela" from Georgian to Russian is "lisa" (English: fox). However, he refused to change his name.

Many labels didn't want to work with Meladze, "because this music was not modern...long and not happy". But in 1995 their demo record was heard by Alla Pugacheva and she invited Valeriy to sing their song at "The Christmas Meeting" in Moscow. After success at "the meeting" Valeriy released his debut solo album "Sera" (Сера) on the music label "Souz". Song "Sera" - one of the more successful of Valeriy's songs at that moment. Also songs "Poserеdine Leta" (Посередине Лета; The Middle Of Summer) and "Noch' Pered Rozdestvom" (Ночь Перед Рождеством; Christmas Eve) had major success.

Сontinued career

In end of 1995 Valeriy won two awards, Ovatsii and Zvezdy in nomination "Debut Of Year" and "The Best Singer of Year". In October 1996 his second studio album Posledniy romantik (The Last Romanticist) was released.

In early of 1997 was Valeriy gave 19 concerts in the biggest Russian cities. 7 and 8 March Valeriy sang in Olympiskiy, Moscow. In end of year was released first concert and video record album "Live Olympik Moscow".

In 1998, the brothers broke off their relationship with the producer Evgeniy Friendland and with label "Souz". But in January of that year, the third studio album Samba Belogo Motylka (Samba of the White Moth) was released. After dispute with a producer, Valeriy changed his public image, he start to wear only formal clothes and songs became more cruel and aggressive.

In 1999 Konstantin moved to Kiev to work on Ukrainian telechannel "Inter" and wrote less songs for his brother. Therefore Valeriy released greatest hits album "The Best". Many fans thought that Valery left show-business. However in the end of 1999 was released fourth studio album - "Vsyo Tak I Bylo" (Russian: Всё так и было, English: All was this way) on a new label "Iseburg Mesic". Songs "Mechta" (Russian: Мечта, English: Dream), "Rossvetnaya" (Russian: Рассветная, English: Daybreakly) and "Krasivo" (Beautiful;Красиво) have topped the Russian charts. In same year Meladze voiced cartoon "Neznajka Na Lune" and wrote a song with the same name.

Pause in career and collaboration with "Via Gra"

In 2000 brothers founded Russian-Ukrainian pop group "VIA Gra (ВИА Гра). At this time Valeriy took a pause in his career. But in 2004 was released songs in duet with "Via Gra" "Prityazeniya Bolshe Net" (Притяжения Больше Нет; which can be translated both as 'No More Attraction' or 'No More Gravity') and "Okean I Tri Reki" (Ocean and Three rivers; Океан и Три Реки) (in 2003). In same year a greatest hits album Nastojashee (Really, The real Ones; Настоящее) was released. Fedor Bondarchuk filmed a video "Komediant", which was banned in Russia. On March 1, 2002 Valeriy acted in Kremlin and later that year performed 11 concerts on a US tour. The same year Meladze took part in a First Chanel project "10 songs of Moscow" and sung the song "Podmoskovnie Vechera" (Russian: "Подмосковные вечера", English: "Moscow Nights").

In 2003 he released his fifth album Nega (Нега), including the songs "Se La Vi", "Ya NE Mogu Bez Tebya" and "Oskolki Leta", which was a hit in the CIS. In early 2003 the album Sera was re-released, "Poslednij Romantik", "Samba Belogo Motilka" and "Vse tak i bilo". Also was released album "Nega" (Russian: Нега). In 2004 Meladze won two awards "MUZ-TV" and "Russian Music Awards" as "The Best Vocalist", "The Best Song" (Pritashenya Bolishe Net) and "The Best Duet". In 2005 Valery was "The Best Singer" again and also won award as "The Best Duet" with "Okean I Tri Reki". He has released a compilation "Okean" for the tenth career. In 2006 Valery won award as "Singer Of Year" and became a meritorius artist of Russia. The Meladze brothers were the producers of "Fabrika Zvezd-7" in 2007. In end of 2008 Valery became People's artist of Chechnya and released sixth studio album "Vopreki"

Meladze and Nu Virgos girl group were bestowed the title of the Best Duo of the Year at 2004 Russian Music Awards. On June 2, 2006 Meladze won the 4th Muz-TV Music Award as the Best Artist of the Year. On August 24 of the same year he was categorized as the Best Performer and the Best Artist at the MTV Russian Music Awards nominations. Valeriy is a meritorious artist of Russia and People's artist of Chechnya.

Studio albums

Compilation albums

Concert album

In the summer of 1989, he married an engineer, Irina, in Batumi. They have three daughters. They divorced in 2011.